A.L. Brown Media Center wins Bright Ideas grant

Energy United has awarded a Bright Ideas grant to the A.L. Brown High School Media Center. The grant is worth more than $1,400 and will add electronics and engineering resources to the school’s library. Energy United presented the grant to A.L. Brown Media Specialist, Katie Bogle, who applied for the award. A.L. Brown High School was one of 37 grant recipients chosen from nearly 300 applicants.

The Bright Ideas grant will allow the A.L. Brown Media Center to buy electronics kits for students to create robots, engineering designs, arts projects, and more. The electronics kits include small magnetic bits that create a simple circuit. When students add everyday items such as straws, tape, or Legos, the magnetic bits and simple circuits can create much more complex and interactive objects, including robots. Beth Schmit, art teacher at A. L. Brown noted, “We're asked to tackle 21st century skills with our curriculum. Having opportunities for students to learn how to make things, find alternative success, or the opportunity to fail safely are all valuable things that these Little Bits give us the chance to do. I'm excited to try them.”

The Bright Ideas grant was second grant that Katie Bogle and the A.L. Brown Media Center have earned within the last month. In October, the A.L. Brown Media Center received a $1,000 grant from the North Carolina School Library Media Association. That grant will purchase materials such as small electronics and a 3D printing pen to give students access to learning about circuitry and structures. In addition, Bogle will be working with A. L. Brown teachers to incorporate Breakout Boxes. The boxes are learning tools that help students use problem-solving skills to “break out” of the locked box. They can be used as part of lessons for any subject and promote student learning, collaboration, movement all in one activity.

Resources provided by the grants will allow the A.L. Brown Media Center to expand its Makerspace area and give students more hands-on materials for creating innovative projects and designs for all subjects. Students are able to access the materials before school, during lunch, and as part of class assignments.